A New Beginning
by Davo86
Summary: Taking place immediatly after the series, Vincent, Re-l, Pino and Kristeva set out to look for signs of civilization away from the ruined Romedo. Rel- x Vincent undertones.
1. Part 1 A New World

**Part 1 – A New World**

The cold, grey and overcast sky slowly pulled off its blanket revealing the blue sky that was once long lost to the outside world – the real world. Thin and thick beams of dusty sunlight shone through the gaps in the greyness, like great pillars that held the blue into place and blessed the cold earth with their touch. Soon, the pillars too disappeared, and gentle warmth carefully crept across the still barren land.

Vincent Law flinched, a natural reaction that somehow still felt odd to him. He sighed, pushing the tiller of Centzon Totochtin (or more affectionately – The Rabbit) away from himself to swing the odd sail-vessel to the left. His short black hair was unkempt and ruffled by the wind and only matched the appearance of his grubby face; discoloured with dust and dirt that only his strong, green eyes managed to shine through. They scanned the horizon, bleak as ever, before resting on the cabin door as it slowly rose open.

A woman stepped out, young and emitting vitality in a world of desolation. Perhaps that was what Vincent loved about Re-l Mayer. Well, that amongst other things. Unlike him, she was immaculate. Her hair carefully placed and set, no doubt by Pino; her blue eyes framed with a husk of blue shadow and dark eyeliner. Vincent shook his head, not wishing to believe he was entirely this shallow.

"Still no sign?" she was blunt, as usual.

"Nothing since Romdo. I thought if we'd followed the path we took to Mosko we'd of run into someone…" his voice trailed off. She smiled at him slightly; a rare occasion.

"We'll find people soon enough. I can't imagine we're the proverbial Adam and Eve of the new world."

Vincent managed a laugh, but his flush face betrayed his forced emotions. Him a Re-l, the last humans around? It had a fairy-tale quality to it, but little else. In truth the thought was strikingly worrying. More so in the knowledge that he was still Ergo Proxy.

This was a fact he had come to terms with. A fact that no longer worried him for reasons that any person may think such a thing _would_ be worrying. He had fought his demons, taken control and defeated them on that fateful day back in Romdo. The only worry he had was that he knew it was keeping Re-l from him, and it most likely would continue to do so. He could hardly blame her, though. Human as he appeared and human as he tried to be, a Proxy is a Proxy. He was dangerous, a little elusive and perhaps even other-worldly. Just how much of this Re-l considered he didn't know. He'd never asked, but rather had been thankful for the affection that she had been showing him despite everything. Perhaps she could overlook the fact? The tiller was pushed further away; The Rabbit suddenly veering sharply left and buckling to a halt as it hit dead-wind.

"Vincent!" Re-l's cry was echoed by Pino, who suddenly rushed up the stairs of the cabin to thump at Vincent's leg.

"Ow! Oww!"

"Was Vincent daydreaming about Re-l Re-l again?!" Pino questioned, making a face as she watched the young man redden and avert his eyes to the floor. Similarly Re-l snapped her head away, gazing out to the distant horizon. Pino giggled, and ran back inside.

"I-I wasn't really daydr-"

"Let's just get started again and find another dome. The sooner I see more life, the better."

Vincent nodded, pushing frantically at the tiller to turn the boat away from the wind. Civilization had to be somewhere nearby, but what would they do when the found it? He shook his head hard. Daydreaming again wasn't a clever idea.


	2. Part 2 Contact

**Part 2 - Contact**

"Pino. Sit still."

The deep voice of the Entourage AutoReiv hung darkly in the confined cabin of The Rabbit. Kristeva paced slowly around the room, arms outstretched in a zombie-like manner as she tried to retrain the young Companion AutoReiv who ran amok. Pino was short and speedy, jumping on cabinets, seats, and the table; ducking and diving between Kristeva's legs in taunting game that mocked her attempts to restrain the girl. All the while Pino giggled and laughed, as though this tiny, cramped world was all she needed.

"Pino!" Kristeva's voice was louder this time, but still held little authority over the purple-haired girl whom was now busy clambering into the food-store.

Pino giggled louder in response, tossing a can of beans out of her way as she entrenched herself in the small cupboard. It flew a short distance, only to be caught by a pale hand and placed with a loud thud on the top of the storeage cupboard.

"Oooow! Pino's ears!" the small AutoReiv climbed back out, hands pulling the large, floppy ears of her pink catlike pyjama-suit over her real ears. "Re-l Re-l is mean!" She poked out her tongue.

"Shut up, Pino. Do as Kristeva says."

Pino plonked herself to the floor, arms folded defiantly and mouth curled into a melodramatic frown.

"Miss Re-l Mayer, please do not control Pino for me. She is my Raison D'être – if I cannot control her, what am I for?"

Re-l sighed heavily, and turned away from the Entourage. Kristeva still reminded her of everything that was wrong with Romdo; all that she despised and found nonchalant, all of her Grandfather's doing to make the last bastion of human hope into the most boring perfection she could imagine.

"Re-l Mayer, please confirm that you will no-"

"Alright!"

Re-l slumped down onto a hard seat, glancing coldly to Kristeva. She looked strange to her; clad in black much like herself, but too prim and full of perfection. Her white face reminded her of those Geisha's of old she'd learnt of whilst growing up and there was something cold and disturbing about it. She decided to fiddle with her shotgun.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Pino leapt up and started running around again, pretending to shoot at Re-l and Kristeva in turn. Re-l sighed and carried on with her business whilst Kristeva once again began to chase after her young charge. Of course, she blamed Re-l for bringing her shotgun from its holster and reprimanded her for even having such a weapon around the late Raul Creed's daughter. It was a danger and a bad influence. Re-l retorted by aiming the gun in Kristeva's general direction, before scowling and leaving the room.

"Kristeva made Re-l mad…" Pino finally stopped and sat comfortably beside her Entourage.

"It's hard not to." She retorted.

Re-l ducked her head down as she impatiently climbed the stairs to where Vincent steered The Rabbit. The door always opened too slowly for her and she was desperate to escape the madness of indoors. The sky was still a clear blue, and the natural light felt alien on her pale face. She lifted her eyes to see Vincent, fully expecting to see him glazed over and elsewhere, as he so often was recently. Her heart skipped a beat as she realised he was nothing of the sort. His green eyes were wide and his grip trembled on the tiller. He caught sight of her, shouted her name and told her to go inside. She saw something from the corner of her eye, her head turned to face it instinctively. Another vessel flew parallel to them, and a gun was now pointed at her face. Civilisation had found them first.


	3. Part 3 Heritage

**Part 3 - Heritage**

Her black hair that was being tossed and ruffled across her eyes obscured the view of whoever had the weapon trained on her. From what she could make out, it was male, bulky and dirty. She glimpsed long hair, thick stubble that greyed in patches and furrowed, bushy eyebrows.

She took a shaky hand to her head and swept her hair aside, staring death down the barrel with wide eyes. She was frozen in time, her own movements and thought carrying her around a world that seemed to have stopped and given her space to think. Who were these people? Why the violence? Why hadn't Vincent said anything? Where did the come from? Her gaze flicked to Vincent, his green eyes still wide; almost shaking in their sockets as he started intently towards her. She turned back to the barrel and with a blink everything came into motion again.

"Who're you?!" a gruff voice demanded.

"J-just travellers…" Vincent answered weakly. His lack of presence annoyed Re-l slightly, she clenched her fists. "We were looking for a new home."

"New home? W'at happened ter your old 'un?!" the man now swung his gun around to face Vincent, who flinched a little before seeming to relax.

Re-l took her chance to observe things properly. The craft was little better than her own, but had the advantage of being self-propelled. The men on-board all looked old, rough and worn. As far as Re-l could see there were no women, and no children. No-one who wasn't at least in their late thirties. All the while she kept vague tabs on the conversation around her. It seemed they wanted to have the same answers as her. Who were they? Why were they travelling? Where were they going?

Vincent answered all in turn, and complied as he was asked to draw The Rabbit to a halt and let the others board. Apparently the mention of Romdo had riled the man with the gun. There was talk of immigrants, Mosko, removal from the city and being forced to live in the barren coldness that was the world outside.

The armed man inspected the area, scared Pino, took some food-cans and then got down to names. The two AutoReivs he didn't much care for, and Vincent Law was a name he'd never heard. Re-l Mayer on the other hand seemed to strike a nerve. A heavy, hard-skinned hand found its way to Re-l's neck and slammed her to the wall of the cabin, much to the dislike of Vincent who had to be restrained and taken out onto the deck.

"Donov Mayer caused us a good few problems 'e did." The gruff man spoke bitterly. Re-l started determinedly back into his grey eyes, unwavering. She could hear Vincent kicking and thrashing outside; would this bring out the Proxy?

"I wont be responsible for what my Grandfather did. He did his best with Romdo."

"By attackin' Mosko?! By forcin' us to leave our 'ome and work the poorest of labours in your shinin' beakon' of civilisation?! Only to 'ave us booted out the plug when we didn't turn out to be model citizens?! Oh yeah… your Grandfather did a fine job, Miss Re-l Mayer…"

He bought a knee sharply into her stomach and let her fall to her knees, leaving the cabin and Pino screaming and beginning to cry. He stepped outside and nodded to his accomplices who released the man thrashing in their arms.

"We ain't travelin' with this scum… they can find their own 'ome in this rotten world."

Vincent glared to the other's vessel as it slowly pulled away, lost into the horizon as quickly as it had come. He staggered down the short staircase to find Re-l curled on the floor in an almost foetal position, Pino patting on her arm. He carefully picked her up and cradled her; she offered little resistance. Perhaps she was still winded from her blow.


	4. Part 4 Nightmare

**Part 4 - Nightmare**

Darkness grew around him. A strange, thick darkness that was only penetrated by the glow of menacing, blue eyes. Vincent felt distinct from his body, free to move and float and watch the scene before him unfold as Ergo Proxy sat hunched, waiting. His mask no longer covered his face, but was rather held in a large hand, crushed and discarded like a scrap of paper. His mouth curled and parted into a grin, but the bulky body stayed stationary.

_What am I waiting for?_

Vincent's thought played dual in his head. The voice of the man and the voice of the Proxy entwined. It was true that he was now a whole, no longer conflicting between what he did and didn't know. He had accepted his fate; what he was and what he could do. And with that power he had chosen to be with those he loved. The one he loved.

He moved around, swimming through the impenetrable darkness to try and get a better look at himself. He moved upwards, above the head of the Proxy and observed downwards. He was crouching on something; no – someone. He urged his head to tilt to the floor; his dream-like Proxy form following suit and illuminating the body below with a pale blue glow from its eyes. Vincent gasped. A pale face stared upwards, blue eyes glazed and dead to the dark world; thick blue eyeshadow streamed down its cheeks.

_Re-l!_

The man gasped, wreathed and stumbled in shock. The Proxy stayed, still glaring down at the motionless body of Re-l Mayer. It laughed, quietly at first, before its manic expression became all Vincent could hear echoing throughout the deep black. For the first time since he'd left Romedo with Re-l he felt alone again. Alone, confused and once more separate from what he was. He forced himself forward, reaching through the body of Ergo Proxy to touch the cheek of the unmoving Re-l Mayer tenderly. Why had he done this? Could the Emissary of Death not live peacefully?

_The battle has just begun, Vincent._

_Vincent…_

_Vincent._

"Vincent!"

Vincent's green eyes snapped open; he sat up sharply, banging his head to the wall with a sickening 'thud'. Kristeva stood over him, Pino by her side, clinging to her leg. He blinked, again and again, feeling his eyes somehow unable to adjust to the reality of day. He flicked his gaze from left, to right, to left again.

"Re-l. Where'd Re-l?!" he sounded anxious and angry.

"Waiting for you to take over the steering. It is your turn."

Vincent picked himself off of his shabby bed, and wandered briskly to the deck, Kristeva still uttering behind him words of warning. He vaguely picked out the words 'wrath' and 'scorned', but choose to ignore them. The doorway opened and his concerned gaze was met with narrow, piercing eyes. He smiled broadly, a goofy, relieved smile. Her lips remained pressed into a thin line, and he watched her twitch slightly as a cold breeze ruffled the fur of her cream coat.

"Re-l! I'm so glad you'r- Ow!" Vincent was cut short by a boot to the shin. He hopped helplessly until he found his grip on the tiller, leaning on it as he rubbed his soon-to-be bruised leg. Re-l shoved a palm to his face; probably the closest thing to punching him she could manage without really causing pain. She grunted her thanks for his concern and quickly headed inside, rubbing her cold hands and uttering curses against the male of the species as she went. If Vincent had one comfort from this; at least it was defiantly his Re-l.


	5. Part 5 A Fresh Start

**Part 5 – A Fresh Start**

The Rabbit slowly came to a halt a good five-hundred metres away from what Re-l could best describe as little more than a shanty town. She furrowed her brows slightly, feeling frustrated and slightly angry. What had been just over a weeks worth of travelling had resulted in them finding what, in her mind, amounted to the back-end of nowhere. Clearly the spoilt brat within her still prevailed over much of her mind. She stepped off the sail-boat, strangely enough with Vincent's hand in hers as he steadied her down to the ground. Soon enough her hands found the safety of her coat pockets again and she turned away to obscure a fleeting blush.

Pino quickly followed on from the others, soon to take up where Re-l had left off she placed her petite hand into Vincent's and swung his arm happily. He smiled to her before shooting a cautious gaze around the area.

"I don't see the ones that boarded us earlier, Re-l." He comforted, smiling in her general direction.

"What a shame… I could have paid them back the favour." She spoke wryly, but her voice was subtly laced with apprehension. Vincent moved to place his free hand on her shoulder; she flinched away and slowly shuffled towards the settlement.

"These people look like they've just returned from the Boomerang anyway – the crafts nearby are too advanced compared to their houses, right? No one's going to recognise you, or even really care…"

She spun and glared at him, his choice of words hitting a nerve. Not even care? Perhaps he was right. No; he as right. If they _were_ from the Boomerang then they'd not even know much –if anything- about Romedo. But the idea of people not caring for her existence made her uneasy. She would rather be disliked than ignored. Surely it was better to be acknowledged then to have your existence overlooked? All her life she'd have strong affirmation of her existence; her importance. Iggy, always by her side; her grandfather a reminder of her place in society. To think that now it was all different. She wasn't sure if it was for the best.

Realising his mistake Vincent flailed his free hand frantically, bowing his head in apology before scurrying to catch up to her as she turned again. He quickly called behind him to Kristeva and charged her with looking after The Rabbit, much to her dislike.

The three entered the small settlement warily, attracting glances from each and every tired person they passed. Most remained quiet and kept about their business, a few nodded their welcomes. Eventually they arrived at a larger hut. It looked well stocked and of better built than those around it. Vincent left Pino with Re-l and stepped forward carefully, peeking his head around the open space that could only constitute a doorway. A tall woman emerged from the shadowy inside, and gently pushed Vincent away as she stepped through the door. She was an older lady, perhaps in her late fifties; her dull brown hair littered with streaks of grey. Her face showed signs of hardship, wrinkled beyond its years with deep lines around the eyes and mouth. She stared at the three for a short while before addressing them.

"What is it you odd folk are looking for?" her voice was gruff, yet not unpleasant. Vincent chose to be the spokesman.

"We're travelling, looking for others to stay with. We need supplies."

"Supplies?" she laughed, before beginning to cough. "Why'd you need supplies when you found the 'others' already? What d'you think we are?"

She was right, of course. Vincent glanced sideways to Re-l, who said nothing.

"Pino will stay here! Pino likes it!" the young girl jumped in the spot, tugging at Re-l's arm as she flicked her head around joyfully.

"I'll tell ya what…" the older lady started again, "you can stay here and do some work for those supplies. Ain't gettin' nothing from us till you've earned it. Who knows? Maybe you might like it and decide to stay after all?"

"Thank you, ma'am!" Vincent smiled slightly, looking hopefully again to Re-l.

"You can call me Rose. Come see me again later, I'm sure we have a lot to talk about." She smiled sweetly at the three, eyes creasing closed for a while. "And tell your girlfriend to cheer up, ain't the end of the world! It's the beginning!"

Rose laughed quietly to herself and stepped back inside her shack. Re-l stood with a stony face, insulted once more and this time by someone she didn't even know! Was she really so bad? And the girlfriend comment she certainly wouldn't let slide! She let go of Pino's hand and briskly headed back toward The Rabbit. As bad as this place seemed to her, she wasn't going to sit idly and be useless. It was time she showed she wasn't just a pampered brat. If they wanted her to earn her keep, earn it she damn well would!


	6. Part 6 Used

**Part 6 - Used**

Vincent sat hunched, his hands clasped tightly around a thick steel mug of what appeared to be some strange coffee. His gaze was over his shoulder, eyes following the slender figure of Re-l as she staggered around in the distance. A large box was pressed to her chest, her arms shaking slightly underneath it as she inched towards the little hut she'd made for herself. She dropped it to the floor, wafting her hands as dust flew up around her. She picked something from the box –a fruit- and made her way to the small pot she had boiling over a fire.

"Why don't you help your girlfriend, dear?" Rose's voice interrupted Vincent's thoughts.

"Whenever I try she bites my head off." He sighed, "I think she's trying to prove she's not useless…"

He turned back to face Rose, giving a slight shrug of the shoulders as he brought his mug to his lips. She just smiled back, breaking off a chunk of hard bread in her mouth and chewing it in a way that seemed much akin to a cow chewing grass. She swallowed hard before offering a piece to Vincent, who decided it was best to decline.

"I said we had a lot to talk about." Rose started, Vincent nodding in response. "So I guess I'd best get started. Your lot aren't from the Boomerang Star, are ya?"

Vincent shook his head gently, "We're survivors from Romedo city. The place was destroyed pretty much as we saw people returning. I guess a lot happened that day…"

"I guess it did." Rose agreed, taking another bite of her stiff bread. "The Proxies did their job well… the earth is returning to a hospitable state."

A slight tinge shivered its way down Vincent's spine. He hadn't expected to encounter anyone with knowledge of Proxies, or their intended purpose. In fact, the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Did everyone from off-world know? Were the informed of the Proxy Project whilst on the Boomerang Star? He narrowed his eyes slightly, taking another sip from his drink as the implications spun in his head. Rose continued.

"It's a shame that most of the dome cities were destroyed, though. We don't want to be living in shacks like this forever now, do we? No, no… we'll be moving north soon enough; there's a city there waiting. Consider this place a stop-off point."

"Why wait here if there's a city you can go to?"

"Tale has it there's still a Proxy inside. We don't want to be living alongside those things, so they're huntin' it down. Even took the dome-roof away so the light could get through, but apparently it likes to hide in the dark."

Another sip of coffee was the best Vincent could manage to hide his shock. Shock, and also anger. Were Proxies really just tools to these humans? Disposable beings they created to deal with their folly, only to be discarded once they'd run their course. It riled him to the core, his true self feeling wounded and betrayed. He gripped his mug tighter, indenting it slightly as he grit his teeth.

"Somethin' the matter, dear?"

"No. It's nothing. I was just thinking how I'd like to visit someday. What _is_ a Proxy anyway?"

Rose eyed him strangely, her face surprisingly confused.

"You dwellers weren't never told? Then per'aps it's better you're kept in the dark. Forget I said anythin', dearie." She smiled sweetly, sickeningly so.

Footsteps approached from behind, managing to distract Vincent enough to let his rage subside. Kristeva lent beside him, holding a plate carefully that seemed have some kind of overcooked stew sloshing around on its surface. He turned his gaze from the stew to Re-l, who was still around her shack, washing her hands under a nearby water pump.

"Correct; she made this. For you. She hopes you like it." Kristeva left the plate in Vincent's hands and wandered off as quickly as she'd came, Pino running around and following her like an obedient, yet hyperactive dog.

Vincent excused himself and paced over to Re-l, food in hands. He stopped close-by, watching her as she continued to busy herself; sorting through her own possessions that looked so out of place in the run down settlement. A hairdryer lay in her doorway next to her make-up bag. It amused Vincent slightly that she'd kept such things on The Rabbit since their travels together; as if she'd planned for the eventuality that she might be in dire need of her eye-shadow once again in his company. As she scuffled around it became clear that she wasn't just sorting her own belongings. A vast array of items were strewn across the floor, placed neatly into rows with the names of villagers etched into the dirt above them. Apparently she'd been lending a hand by collecting all the borrowed belongings and returning them to their owners. He smiled, watching her work before she glanced at him and stopped in her tracks. As if on instinct her shovelled a little stew in his mouth and forced a smile as it slid down his throat; apparently she still couldn't cook.

"How is it?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

"Lovely!" Was the reply, as Vincent swallowed another mouthful. "But I need to tell you something."

He placed the half finished plate down and stepped towards her, taking her arm and pulling her aside into her little shack. He drew the curtain across the doorway and listened patiently to make sure they were alone. He could tell he'd annoyed her by dragging her in there in such a manner, but he was sure she'd understand the need for privacy. He gave another short while for the infuriated look on her face to pass into a more placid look of impatience.

"Well, what is it?"

"We can't stay here. There's a city, North of here. It still has a Proxy inside and they're trying to kill it!" He spoke in a hushed, yet urgent manner.

Re-l recoiled, looking vaguely shocked for a while before she responded.

"Isn't that a good thing? It's going to run rampage with these people returning anyway. Do you plan on going to save them all from it? Don't you end up killing Proxies anyway?"

"No!" His voice was louder, and harsher than he'd expected. "That's not it at all! These people made us, used us and want to just discard us like dirt! I want to help the Proxy, not these… humans."

Re-l stepped back again, her eyes straining on Vincent's face in the darkened room.

"And where do I fall into all this? I'm human, aren't I?"

"Yes but… Re-l! It's different. You're different! Please, just trust me?"

He waited what seemed an eternity for her reaction; the smallest of nods. It was true that he didn't know what exactly to expect from the trip north, but he had a few days left to think on it. They were still working for the supplies they needed, and without those he could never reach the city. He only hopped that in doing so he wasn't putting Re-l in danger. Yet, in the back of his mind he knew that as long as they were in each other's company danger would never be far away.


	7. Part 7 Worry

((Sorry for the long wait. I'm very busy with university recently, so I'm having trouble writing this. I'm also finding it a bit hard to figure out exactly where this is going, with EP being such a complex anime I don't feel like just writing on a whim and spoiling such well made characters. So, bear with me if updates are a little slow coming.))

**Part 7 – Worry**

_13__th__ day since Romedo. PM._

_It has been two days since Vincent told me he wanted to leave this commune. He's been growing more and more impatient with each hour that passes. His usual placid self is verging dangerously close to the taunting persona that once dared me to kill him. I thought that he was over this, but maybe I was wrong. I still haven't asked him anything about what happened up atom Romedo, through fear that I wouldn't even understand. _

_He visits me often, asking if I'm ready. In truth, I've been ready to leave since he first asked. But I'm not sure I want to go. It's not that I enjoy things here, but I worry about what lies ahead. Not so long ago I felt I was infused with all the bravery in the world but now it only seems as though I'm running from the unknown. Maybe I'm just seeking some calm amidst this storm that's been plaguing me ever since I encountered Proxy. Maybe it's something more?_

_Whenever Vincent isn't with me, he's up high on the hillside, staring northwards. I'd of never of guessed he had such an affinity with other Proxies before, but it just goes to show what little I understand about the man who is Vincent Law. And this proof of my own ignorance only seeks to unsettle me even more. If I know nothing of him then why do I feel how I do? Why am I drawn to him almost on impulse? Why am I so scared that if we go north, I may lose him? I sound like a child, I can't even believe myself. I've changed, but I don't want to admit it. Not yet, not to anyone. For now I need to keep my shell on. He has enough to worry about._

"Re-l?"

She slapped shut her diary quickly, and rolled over onto it hastily to be sure to obscure it from view. Her blue eyes glanced upwards to the figure in her doorway, staring sternly at Vincent. He smiled faintly at her, before stepping inside and sitting on the floor before her cross legged.

"Re-l, we have to leave soon… if we leave it too long it's going to be too la-!"

"I have things to do. I haven't finished earning our supplies, Vincent."

"I did it. I've taken care of what we need, Rose says we can go if we want. She's been saying it since yesterday."

"I can't just leave what I started!" Re-l sighed deeply, unpinning her hair and casually tossing her diary aside into the dark corner. A silence hung between them; a silence that felt unusually awkward. After travelling together for months Re-l had felt that they were close enough to live with silence. That time together was just as well spent when nothing was said. But for once, this was different. It was as though she could feel his suffering and longing stretching through the tense air and piercing her heart. She watched him shift his gaze to the floor as a frown crept over his timid face.

"Do my hair." She tossed him her comb.

"Sure… Re-l."

The two sat silently again as Vincent gently combed and styled her hair. It was something she could easily do her self, and had done for quite some time since she'd lost Iggy, but it was the least she could do in such a situation. She couldn't let her guard down; she wasn't ready to let him inside. At least with this, he was kept close for that little bit longer, and the trip northwards would be put off if only for a while.


End file.
